Combined label and can-opener holder



Jan. 14, 1936. L. w. BASTOW 2,027,624

COMBINED LABEL AND CANOPENER HOLDER Fild Aug. 6, 1934 .Ef'yzfi LloydWBamiow.

3c 3 INVENTOR,

II. LABEL AND CAN-QIPENER t C l HOLDER Lloyd W. Bastow, South Portland,Maine Application August 6, 1934, Serial No. 788,664

""2Glaims. (01.404)

This invention relates to a can-opener holder quickly insertable in thedepression of a can cover and serving as'a label-carrying memberidentifying the product the can contains and the name of the individualor concern who packed the goods.

One application which, in an illustrative man-v ner, discloses thegeneral characteristics of my invention and perhaps best exemplifies itsadaptability for use in awide variety of commercially prepared andcanned products, is found in the well known sardine can; and it is inconnection with this particular line of prepared food products that Ishall, in this present application illustrate and describe my invention.

It is common practice in canning-sardines to I When employing a certaintype of can a key,

I or can-opener deviceis used to strip the cover from the can body togain access to the contents.

These openers are sometimes enclosed in a paper wrapper bound in someway to the can, or left loosely in the shipping container and deliveredby the market man to the customer as each can of sardines is sold.

In other instances the whole can is enclosed in a carton with the latterlabelled, instead of the can itself. In this case the opener is supposedto be placed in the carton, along with the can.

In the present invention I have sought to simplify and cheapen the costof labelling the goods, as well also as to provide a very handy andconvenient method of housing the little tool used to open the can.

The member which accomplishes these objects is a piece of stillcard-board, contoured to closely lit the upstanding walls ofthedepression in the can cover, the fit being such as to frictionallybind the card in the cover space.

In addition to this I partially shear through the card two ears which,when slightly raised provide a space within which the opening tool forthe can is inserted and held in position on the card.

The card is imprinted with the proper indicia, and when the parts areassembled and displayed on the dealer's counter creates a sales appealto the customer lacking in any other method of exhibiting the product.

A feature of more than ordinary importance resides in the ability toclosely stack the canswhen deposited in the shipping container, thecan-opening tool in no way interfering with the cans being closelymounted one over the other. The character of my invention may best beunderstood by reference to the description found in the followingspecification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. inwhich 5 similar reference characters are employed to identify like partsin all the diflerent views there oi. In the drawing, v Fig. l isa'perspective view of a sardine can showing one application or myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the tool-holding card on which a labelmay be imprinted;

" Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, showing the tool for opening thecan;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line fl-t, Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 show alternative means ior holding the can-opening tool,and Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 1-7, Fig. 6. 4 Referring to thedrawing, 6 is a sardine can of conventional design, and la the flapwhich serves to open the can when inserted in the slot in thecan-opening tool 0 and the latter rotated. The v flap is integral withthe cover 2.

Rising from all sides of the cover 2 is a vertical wall or flange 20:forming a depression D in the top of the cover. In this depression Imount the card 3, the edges of which are frictionally secured by beingin strong engagement with the flanges 20 on all sides.

The label L is imprinted on the card and replaces the label ordinarilyphoto-lithographed on the metal cover 2. I

Partially sheared through the card 3 are two cars 3a, and under theseears, when lifted, the canopener 0 is inserted, the handle H of theopener lying flat on the card and below the plane in which lies the topof the flanged portions 2a of the cover.

Thus the cans can be closely stacked in ship ping in cartons with nospace wasted. The opener is always available for opening the can, andthe means required for securing it to the card is so simple that verylittle additional cost in providing it is involved. g

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the sheared portion is cut to make the two ears 30on a substantially ogee line. This provides an overlapping efiectcalculated to better secure the can-opener when positioned 1on-.gitudinally of the card. This particular shape so of sheared line is'notabsolutely essential as a straight, diagonal cut, such as shown in Fig.5, may serve the same purpose as the ogee line.

Furthermore, a construction as disclosed in Fig.

6 and Fig. 7, in which a loop 30 is employed for 55' the can-openersecuring means, would suffice, but in this latter design the portion 30should be pressed outwardly with a die, so that no deformation in thecard, when the tool is inserted under the loop, will take place.

The advantage accruing from the use of my invention in marketingcommercially packed or canned food fish and other products, in which thecan-opening implement is used, may be summarized as follows: low cost ofprinting and attaching the labels; convenient method 01' securing thekey, or can-opening tool; unobstructiveness of the keys in stacking thecans; and the generally favorable appearance of the container whenexhibited on the counter of the market-man.

What I claim is:

1. The combination, with a can cover having a depression therein definedby a flat bottom portion surrounded by wall portions rising at rightangles thereto, of a card, having indicia imprinted thereon constitutinga label, disposed in said depression, said card being or such size andso positioned in the depression that its edges frictionally engage thesaid wall portions, and two ears partially sheared from said cardadapted to be forced outwardly to embrace andhold an object disposed onsaid card.

2. The combination, with a container cover having a depression therein,said depression being defined by a flat bottom portion surrounded by 10wall portions rising at right angles thereto, 01 a card, having indiciaimprinted thereon, disposed in said depression, said card closelyfitting the walls of said depression and irictionally held therein bythe engagement of its edges with said 15'

